The atmosphere between the two of them seemed to suddenly become much closer because of this agreement.
That familiar intimacy of childhood friends quietly permeated the air amidst the slight jostling of the wheelchair and Ruo Xiaozhen’s lighthearted tone.
As they neared the school gate, Ruo Xiaozhen was still happily describing her imaginings of their shared living situation, when Yan Yu suddenly saw those two people.
Su Qinghan and Jiang Muyun.
They were approaching from another path. Su Qinghan was still wearing a sharp, dark-colored long dress, walking briskly.
Jiang Muyun walked beside her, wearing a pink knitted long dress with a light beige trench coat over it. She was looking up at Su Qinghan, saying something with a faint smile on her lips.
Many passing students turned to look.
Yan Yu immediately lowered her head, pretending to be choked by the wind. She covered her mouth and coughed violently, interrupting Ruo Xiaozhen’s chatter.
Ruo Xiaozhen quickly stopped the wheelchair and came around to pat her back. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
The coughing drew looks.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yan Yu saw Su Qinghan’s steps seem to pause for a moment, her cold gaze sweeping over in their direction.
That gaze lingered on the wheelchair beneath Yan Yu for half a second before shifting away.
Without any pause.
Then she slightly turned and said something to Jiang Muyun. Jiang Muyun also looked over, following her line of sight.
Yan Yu kept her head down, coughing, her knuckles turning white.
She could feel Jiang Muyun’s gaze.
Then, Yan Yu seemed to hear an extremely soft, almost inaudible, scoffing laugh.
By the time Yan Yu finally stopped coughing and raised her reddened eyes, the two of them had already walked far away. Their backs melted into the morning light, a perfect match that stung the eyes.
Su Qinghan had even slightly turned to shield Jiang Muyun from the sun—a protective gesture she had never given to Yan Yu in her wheelchair.
“Yan Yu…” Ruo Xiaozhen crouched down, looking at her worriedly. “That… is that Jiang Muyun? Su Qinghan, she… you two really broke up?”
Yan Yu’s eyelashes fluttered. She lowered her eyes and softly replied, “Mm-hmm.”
“Holy shit!” Ruo Xiaozhen exploded again, her face flushing with anger. “What does she mean by that? She just kicks you to the curb the moment that woman comes back? Isn’t it obvious she was just using you as a substitute? That’s too much! What a scumbag! Does she even know you’re now—”
Her voice unconsciously rose, drawing the attention of several passing students nearby. Their eyes wandered between Yan Yu’s wheelchair and Ruo Xiaozhen’s agitated face.
Yan Yu’s heart sank.
[System Alert: Detected that supporting character ‘Ruo Xiaozhen’ has made statements inconsistent with maintaining the character ‘Yan Yu’s’ persona of protecting the protagonist Su Qinghan.]
[Host, please correct this promptly to maintain the substitute character’s image of ‘undying, unwavering affection’ towards Su Qinghan and safeguard Acting Value.]
She immediately reached out and gently tugged on Ruo Xiaozhen’s sleeve. Lifting her pale face, she forced a fragile smile, her voice thin. “Zhenzhen, don’t say that… Qinghan, she… she’s very good. It’s me… I’m the one who wasn’t good enough.”
Ruo Xiaozhen froze, staring at her wide-eyed as if she didn’t recognize her.
After a long moment, she spoke incredulously, her tone urgent and angry, laced with deep heartache. “Where is she good? She treated you like this! Yan Yu, wake up, okay? Is there anything in your head besides her?
“Besides, even if she doesn’t want you, don’t you still have me?”
That last sentence carried a note of inexplicable grievance. The hand holding Yan Yu’s wrist tightened even more, as if trying to pull her out of that pitiful obsession through sheer force.
Jerked by the pull, Yan Yu swayed slightly. She just lowered her head even further. Her long eyelashes concealed all emotion. She didn’t speak again, letting Ruo Xiaozhen stand back up and push the wheelchair with a somewhat sulky air, walking in silence all the way to the Art Building.
There was a small gentle slope on the path to the Art Building. Ruo Xiaozhen pushed with some effort but didn’t utter a word, until she steadily parked the wheelchair in front of the accessible ramp at the art studio door.
The scent of turpentine and pencil dust filled the art studio.
Tall windows let in ample light, illuminating the still life arrangement in the center.
A few plaster geometric shapes, a ceramic pot, and two pieces of drapery cloth in different shades.
Professor Chen was a white-haired, stern-looking elderly lady. She paced back and forth in front of the still life platform with her hands clasped behind her back.
Her gaze paused for a moment on Yan Yu, who entered by wheeling herself, and she frowned slightly, but said nothing.
“Today’s lesson is a comprehensive exercise on human figure proportions and structure. Four-kai sketch paper, three hours. At the end of the semester, based on regular assignments and the final assessment, I will select one person to represent our class in the International Youth Art Newcomer Competition at the end of the year.”
Professor Chen announced.
A low murmur of excitement rippled through the studio.
An international competition, even if just a newcomer competition, held significant weight for art students.
“Professor,” a male student ventured to ask, “Wasn’t it always the senior students who went in previous years? We’re only sophomores…”
“If your skill is sufficient, your year is not an issue,” Professor Chen interrupted him. Her gaze swept across the classroom, pausing especially on a few students who usually stood out in their assignments, including Yan Yu in the corner, and… another equally eye-catching figure who had just sat down next to Jiang Muyun.
Someone immediately whispered, “Senior Jiang studied abroad, she must have seen a lot and knows new techniques…”
“Yeah, and she was already really talented…”
Jiang Muyun seemed to hear these comments. She turned her face and gave a somewhat embarrassed, pure and gentle smile to the classmates speaking beside her. “Everyone, please don’t say that. I just came back too, there’s still a lot I don’t understand. I need to learn more from all of you.”
She paused, her gaze drifting seemingly unintentionally towards Yan Yu’s direction. Her voice rose slightly, carrying just the right amount of curiosity. “By the way, I heard that Yan Yu was the best painter in the class before, is that right?”
Instantly, many gazes focused on Yan Yu.